Clubs that are defunct or merged throughout Tasmania.

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Few clubs from the old Esk-Deloraine league that haven't been mentioned. Meander, Chudleigh, Red Hills and Elizabeth Town
Actually those clubs go back to the Deloraine FA, which merged with the Esk in (I think) 1984, or thereabouts.

When I played in the Deloraine FA in the early 80s there were six clubs - the four mentioned above plus Mole Creek & Hagley.

Hagley is gone too, Mole Creek survived but I am not sure if even they are still around these days.
 

Kingpin

Brownlow Medallist
Jan 15, 2004
13,083
933
AFL Club
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Actually those clubs go back to the Deloraine FA, which merged with the Esk in (I think) 1984, or thereabouts.

When I played in the Deloraine FA in the early 80s there were six clubs - the four mentioned above plus Mole Creek & Hagley.

Hagley is gone too, Mole Creek survived but I am not sure if even they are still around these days.
Most of those old clubs up that way folded.
Mole Creek, Wilmot, Railton and Upper Castra all folded in 2015 when the Leven Football Association went into recess, and eventually the league went out of business after 92 years at the end of 2016.
Most of it to do with lack of player numbers.
Latrobe Saints played in the Leven from 1987-2011 and folded.
Trowutta played in the Darwin FA from 1980-1992 and ended up merging with City (1980-1995) in 1996 to become Trowutta-City Bulldogs, they went into recess in 2010 and folded altogether in 2015.
Hagley Football Club ran from 1896-1998 and folded.
 
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Cha_Ching_00

Debutant
Jul 22, 2011
54
8
AFL Club
Geelong
Mt Pleasant’s decision not to join the Central Hawks was one that single handily saved the club because as we know now the Central Hawks adventure was a flop

Just had a read:
Tunbridge: 1952-1981.
Parattah: 1952-1986.
Colebrook: 1974-1978 & 1989-1994.
Kempton: 1974-2003.
Ross: 1980-2000 & 2006-2008.
Tunnack: 1980-2001.
Woodsdale: 1952-2015.
Tasman Peninsula: 2011-2017.
Oatlands: 1978-2005 & 2014-2019.
Swansea: 2002-2019.

Then there was Bothwell that played from 1987-2005 that formed an alliance with Oatlands and Kempton to form SFL club, Central Hawks.
Mount Pleasant almost went under when that allignment happened but luckily survived it.
Both Oatlands and Bothwell reformed a few years later, Bothwell went from strength to strength, Oatlands really battled after that.
Gotta wonder where it's all going to end, could legitimately end up having one league in the south with the small number of teams left in the future.
Just had a read:
Tunbridge: 1952-1981.
Parattah: 1952-1986.
Colebrook: 1974-1978 & 1989-1994.
Kempton: 1974-2003.
Ross: 1980-2000 & 2006-2008.
Tunnack: 1980-2001.
Woodsdale: 1952-2015.
Tasman Peninsula: 2011-2017.
Oatlands: 1978-2005 & 2014-2019.
Swansea: 2002-2019.

Then there was Bothwell that played from 1987-2005 that formed an alliance with Oatlands and Kempton to form SFL club, Central Hawks.
Mount Pleasant almost went under when that allignment happened but luckily survived it.
Both Oatlands and Bothwell reformed a few years later, Bothwell went from strength to strength, Oatlands really battled after that.
Gotta wonder where it's all going to end, could legitimately end up having one league in the south with the small number of teams left in the future.
 

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Ozguy

Club Legend
Jul 6, 2005
1,239
439
..
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Mt Pleasant’s decision not to join the Central Hawks was one that single handily saved the club because as we know now the Central Hawks adventure was a flop

Far from a flop, but feel free to state your ill-informed opinion.

More players who played TSL Seniors came out of that little "adventure", than the entire ODFA since then.

An ongoing Junior program for over a decade is another flop.

Wanna talk about what saved the ODFA? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 

Cha_Ching_00

Debutant
Jul 22, 2011
54
8
AFL Club
Geelong
If you want to judge whether CH was a success because a handful played TSL Seniors that’s fine.

I know who I’d chose in their peak between Nathan Barwick and Jason Bailey and it’s not the latter.. lets not get too caught up with what level players played after playing with CH.

Junior club is going well which is good to see and gives a good avenue for youths in the Southern Midlands.

I guess CH just had that Oatlands feel to it which in the final years Bothwell justifiably weren’t feeling it and interest fell away, by that Oatlands feel I mean the after 00’s culture, the culture which is a little bit different to a Woodsdale or Mt Pleasant culture.

Money depends on which ODFA club you’re talking about? Some clubs spend, some clubs don’t but in my opinion the reason why the ODFA survived is because of Swansea, Mt Pleasant, Woodsdale and Ross in 2006 and from there it was all luck. People think good players playing rural are on more coin than they were playing suburban footy but most of the time it’s similar coin. Look at Campania, Oatlands and Swansea for example those clubs would have to be up there with the willingness for player payments etc which has yielded very little success across the three clubs.

May I ask Ozguy your favourite ODFA club?

QUOTE="Ozguy, post: 65290036, member: 18464"]
Far from a flop, but feel free to state your ill-informed opinion.

More players who played TSL Seniors came out of that little "adventure", than the entire ODFA since then.

An ongoing Junior program for over a decade is another flop.

Wanna talk about what saved the ODFA? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
[/QUOTE]
Far from a flop, but feel free to state your ill-informed opinion.

More players who played TSL Seniors came out of that little "adventure", than the entire ODFA since then.

An ongoing Junior program for over a decade is another flop.

Wanna talk about what saved the ODFA? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
 
Apr 24, 2018
3,181
2,485
AFL Club
St Kilda
Yes FOBFC folded before the season started.
Couldn't get enough players. From memory I think Jason Frawley, ex-Hobart and Cygnet might've been the coach there at the time.
I'm very concerned about the local clubs here mate, the AFL clubs are stating they are looking at financial losses of $5-10 million dollars as a result of this if it goes on indefinitely.
They can be bailed out with the massive warchest the AFL has behind it, but the local and state clubs have been running off the drippings of their noses for a long time now, you'd have to think that there will be casualties of this.
I had a couple of mates playing for friends in the last season there home ground was Newton bike track oval Frawley was captain James o,Neal was coach who had coached Oatlands for the previous few seasons he brought a heap of players down from Oatlands which annoyed the experienced friends players they had plenty of players but due to the big the standard difference between the old scholars and odfa they were getting flogged buy huge margins each game it all came to a head half way through the season when they were getting beat buy over two hundred points vs st Virgil’s all the Oatlands players started fighting and walked out on the club and that was it they only had a few of the old friends boys left not enough they went under half way through the season!
 

Cha_Ching_00

Debutant
Jul 22, 2011
54
8
AFL Club
Geelong
Great insight there Tasmanian saint, from memory when Friends went into recess Ross benefited by acquiring their players not sure of the timing.... but those players that were recruited from Oatlands were only playing reserves level football in the ODFA.

Greg Dare (nice fella) and co ventured up the highway to Ross but mostly trained on the turf wicket oval at Brighton before they were eventually kicked out of the comp because umpires refused to officiate their games

I had a couple of mates playing for friends in the last season there home ground was Newton bike track oval Frawley was captain James o,Neal was coach who had coached Oatlands for the previous few seasons he brought a heap of players down from Oatlands which annoyed the experienced friends players they had plenty of players but due to the big the standard difference between the old scholars and odfa they were getting flogged buy huge margins each game it all came to a head half way through the season when they were getting beat buy over two hundred points vs st Virgil’s all the Oatlands players started fighting and walked out on the club and that was it they only had a few of the old friends boys left not enough they went under half way through the season!
 
Apr 24, 2018
3,181
2,485
AFL Club
St Kilda
If you want to judge whether CH was a success because a handful played TSL Seniors that’s fine.

I know who I’d chose in their peak between Nathan Barwick and Jason Bailey and it’s not the latter.. lets not get too caught up with what level players played after playing with CH.

Junior club is going well which is good to see and gives a good avenue for youths in the Southern Midlands.

I guess CH just had that Oatlands feel to it which in the final years Bothwell justifiably weren’t feeling it and interest fell away, by that Oatlands feel I mean the after 00’s culture, the culture which is a little bit different to a Woodsdale or Mt Pleasant culture.

Money depends on which ODFA club you’re talking about? Some clubs spend, some clubs don’t but in my opinion the reason why the ODFA survived is because of Swansea, Mt Pleasant, Woodsdale and Ross in 2006 and from there it was all luck. People think good players playing rural are on more coin than they were playing suburban footy but most of the time it’s similar coin. Look at Campania, Oatlands and Swansea for example those clubs would have to be up there with the willingness for player payments etc which has yielded very little success across the three clubs.

May I ask Ozguy your favourite ODFA club?

QUOTE="Ozguy, post: 65290036, member: 18464"]
Far from a flop, but feel free to state your ill-informed opinion.

More players who played TSL Seniors came out of that little "adventure", than the entire ODFA since then.

An ongoing Junior program for over a decade is another flop.

Wanna talk about what saved the ODFA? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
[/QUOTE]
Yeah I agree re Nathan Barwick he was an absolute gun I played a lot of junior football with him and the Wilson brothers at Brighton and Glenorchy they would play for mt pleasant on Saturday and junior football in town on Sundays I often thought Nathan should have went a lot further with his footy a lot lesser players then him have ended up getting drafted he was just happy playing country footy I remember watching him absolutely dominate a few games for new Norfolk when all the tsl clubs were playing in the sfl!
 

Arthur Rivers

Debutant
Mar 23, 2007
80
103
GOC
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
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Sorry, but with all due respect, that's a bit of a simplistic way of looking at it. There could be a number of factors to take into account with respect to name changes.
Kingston/Kingborough Tigers/Tigers FC have worn a number of different colours and jumpers down the years.
They used to play in the old Southern Tasmanian Football Association (later known as the TFL) from 1895-1907.
Joined the Channel Football Association in 1908 before playing in the Kingborough Football Association from 1909-1966 against other small country teams, they won ten senior premierships in that competition between 1930-1966.
When the 1967 Tasmanian bushfires destroyed most of those small towns, most of the clubs formed into one club (Channel) and Kingston absorbed Longley.
Channel and Kingston then joined the Huon Football Association.
Both Kingston (and Channel) played in the Huon Football Association from 1967-1995. Kingston won three senior premierships in their stint in the Huon FA in 1980, 1991 and 1995.
Again Kingston and Channel both jumped ship and joined the brand new Southern Football League in 1996.
The SFL was formed as a community based competition after the Tasmanian Amateur Football League (Southern Division) folded at the end of 1995, at the same time the Huon FA was also in deep trouble and both clubs could see the writing on the wall and made the move.
What was more ironic was that every other club in the Huon FA (Cygnet, Kermandie, Franklin, Huonville, Channel) absolutely hated Kingston with a passion and continued to do so when they all ended up in the SFL from 1998 onwards.
Notably, they and former TFL club Hobart, also had a bitter and at times very spiteful dislike of one another in their years in the SFL.
Kingston didn't have a very large supporter base and their home ground was best described as ordinary.
They played their games at the Kingston Beach Oval in Recreation Street, Kingston until the end of 2010.
In the 2000s the suburb and municipality of Kingston and Kingborough grew rapidly.
It went from being a small beachside suburb to growing into a large area full of young families (much like Brighton in many respects) and its population exploded.
Kingston, the suburb now has a population of around 11,000 but the whole municipality they represent has almost 40,000 people in it and hence, that's why they changed their name, to appeal to more people and grow their club and become a strong club at regional level.
This did work for a time, their junior football grew rapidly, their senior club became more successful on field and they were able to secure a brand new ground with great facilities in Firthside called the Twin Ovals.
This culminated with an SFL premiership in front of 7,000 people at KGV, the majority supporting them.
Then AFL Tasmania devised a rather devious plan to try and relocate ailing State League club Hobart down there with a view to Kingborough eventually absorbing Hobart.
Naturally, this enraged Hobart and caused their president to be sacked for discussing the plan with AFL Tas and the Kingborough Council without the rest of their board knowing about the plan.
Eventually Hobart was leaking money at TSL level like a ship full of holes and quit the TSL, and Kingborough, against the wishes of their supporters and players were promoted to the TSL in Hobart's place but were forced to refer to themselves as the bland, generic "Tigers FC" so they would not be seen as "Kingston/Kingborough" and turn off a lot of support from people in the Huon region. It hasn't worked.
In all respects it stopped being Kingston/Kingborough the day they went into the TSL in 2014.


Memory a little hazy, but when visiting Tasmania i was paid to play under an alias back in the early 70s for a team down the channel - Kettering?
 

GreyBudgie

Club Legend
Jun 12, 2008
1,234
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Memory a little hazy, but when visiting Tasmania i was paid to play under an alias back in the early 70s for a team down the channel - Kettering?
As far as I know there has not been a football Club at Kettering since the 1967 Bushfires, After the Bushfires Margate, Kettering, Snug and Woodbridge were incorporated to form the Channel Football Club who were based at Snug a few kilometres north of Kettering they played in Red White and Black, also known as the Saints and would of competed in the Huon Football Association at the time you played under an alias name back in the 70's.

In 2016 Channel pulled the pin due to a lack of player numbers, I think they still run (well Pre-covid) a junior program it was sad to see the lack of numbers as the reason the club at Senior level would cease to exist, As Margate and even Snug have grown in population over the last ten years to be satellite's suburb of Hobart.
 
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jj15

All Australian
Jan 10, 2008
895
356
Tasmania
AFL Club
Geelong
Clubs going under or merging isn’t a bad thing. Way too many clubs down here now in comparison with juniors coming through.
I’m hoping the ODFA for example doesn’t come back or. Few clubs merge and join SFL.
 

Ozguy

Club Legend
Jul 6, 2005
1,239
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Geelong
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Clubs going under or merging isn’t a bad thing. Way too many clubs down here now in comparison with juniors coming through.
I’m hoping the ODFA for example doesn’t come back or. Few clubs merge and join SFL.

The ODFA going under isn't a bad thing?

Have a look at a map of Tasmania and see the HUGE area there will be no football under your brilliant idea.

(...)

Edit: No need for that - OTP
 
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jj15

All Australian
Jan 10, 2008
895
356
Tasmania
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The ODFA going under isn't a bad thing?

Have a look at a map of Tasmania and see the HUGE area there will be no football under your brilliant idea.
Hey, I stand by my belief in ODFA not coming back and clubs that can survive joining SFL. Clubs having a hard time filling one team let alone two. Two clubs went into recess this year alone. If some clubs merged it could future proof them and be less clubs competing for players. It’s reality. That area u speak of would have football if a couple teams merged or one remained and represented the area. PlayStation, social media and other things are taking kids attention.
 
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Ozguy

Club Legend
Jul 6, 2005
1,239
439
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Geelong
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Some Team on the Decline
Hey, I stand by my belief in ODFA not coming back and clubs that can survive joining SFL. Clubs having a hard time filling one team let alone two. Two clubs went into recess this year alone. If some clubs merged it could future proof them and be less clubs competing for players. It’s reality. That area u speak of would have football if a couple teams merged or one remained and represented the area. PlayStation, social media and other things are taking kids attention.

Don't have to tell me what the issues with loss of players in regional areas is.

Let's look at your "future proofing" via merger or joining the SFL. Assuming both Oatlands and Swansea came back

Bothwell - No chance of going back to the SFL. Locals want a local based club, playing regional football. Club would not be competitive on its' own, nor have the player base for anything more than seniors.

Campania - Possible merger with Richmond - MAYBE

Campania - Northern based, so irrelevant.

Mt Pleasant & Oatlands - Better chance of me knowing more about Tasmanian football than Kingpin, than those 2 clubs EVER merging. Beyond zero chance. Mt Pleasant would attempt to join Old Scholars. Would not be able to field Reserves in either the OSFA, or SFL. Oatlands can barely scrape up a team for the ODFA. No chance of SFL as a standalone.

Swansea & Triabunna - See my comment about MT P/Oat. No ODFA and Swansea is gone. Triabunna won't be going back to the SFL after its' last standalone debacle.

Zero future proofing there.

Perhaps 250 players took the field in the ODFA last year. Even if half got a game elsewhere if the comp folded, there is 125 players possibly lost forever.

The history of multiple clubs with 100+ years gone. Effectively 7 townships without football added to the growing scrapheap. The middle of the state devoid of football.

It is all well and good to tout hypotheticals. But when those hypotheticals are just that, it is ignoring the big picture that you are ripping the heart out of a football heartland.
 

jj15

All Australian
Jan 10, 2008
895
356
Tasmania
AFL Club
Geelong
Don't have to tell me what the issues with loss of players in regional areas is.

Let's look at your "future proofing" via merger or joining the SFL. Assuming both Oatlands and Swansea came back

Bothwell - No chance of going back to the SFL. Locals want a local based club, playing regional football. Club would not be competitive on its' own, nor have the player base for anything more than seniors.

Campania - Possible merger with Richmond - MAYBE

Campania - Northern based, so irrelevant.

Mt Pleasant & Oatlands - Better chance of me knowing more about Tasmanian football than Kingpin, than those 2 clubs EVER merging. Beyond zero chance. Mt Pleasant would attempt to join Old Scholars. Would not be able to field Reserves in either the OSFA, or SFL. Oatlands can barely scrape up a team for the ODFA. No chance of SFL as a standalone.

Swansea & Triabunna - See my comment about MT P/Oat. No ODFA and Swansea is gone. Triabunna won't be going back to the SFL after its' last standalone debacle.

Zero future proofing there.

Perhaps 250 players took the field in the ODFA last year. Even if half got a game elsewhere if the comp folded, there is 125 players possibly lost forever.

The history of multiple clubs with 100+ years gone. Effectively 7 townships without football added to the growing scrapheap. The middle of the state devoid of football.

It is all well and good to tout hypotheticals. But when those hypotheticals are just that, it is ignoring the big picture that you are ripping the heart out of a football heartland.

I’m sorry if I’ve upset you mate,I wasn’t trying come across as callous. I’m just of the opinion that the comp is going to go under sooner rather then later. Because I think that I believe that merging might be an option to get enough players to represent those areas in SFL into the future. Sounds like you really care and I assure you I do also I just know the tsunami of lack of players that is about to hit football in this state.
 

Ozguy

Club Legend
Jul 6, 2005
1,239
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Geelong
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Some Team on the Decline
I’m sorry if I’ve upset you mate,I wasn’t trying come across as callous. I’m just of the opinion that the comp is going to go under sooner rather then later. Because I think that I believe that merging might be an option to get enough players to represent those areas in SFL into the future. Sounds like you really care and I assure you I do also I just know the tsunami of lack of players that is about to hit football in this state.

Hey,

Not upset at all. Nothing to apologise for. I just wanted to state the facts as I see them. I agree totally. Country football, at least in the south WILL be gone in the next 2-3 years.
 
Apr 27, 2015
21
24
AFL Club
Essendon
Which ones? :(

East Devonport are really struggling for numbers and may not get a side together next year. Really sad for such a historical club. Heard possibly Spreyton and Turners Beach were also looking unlikely to field teams pre-Covid. Will he interesting to see if they do now. Whole Circular Heads Football League also in trouble..
 

Todman

Norm Smith Medallist
Aug 7, 2004
8,348
7,177
AFL Club
Hawthorn
What was the reason for a club like Kempton going under ? you would think for that league it wouldn't be hard to get blokes to commute to Kempton to play footy. Also did Bagdad ever have a team ?
Bagdad competed in the South East District FA from 1951 to 1975.
Bagdad-Mangalore played in the Southern District FA from 1947-1949
 

Ozguy

Club Legend
Jul 6, 2005
1,239
439
..
AFL Club
Geelong
Other Teams
Some Team on the Decline
Bagdad competed in the South East District FA from 1951 to 1975.
Bagdad-Mangalore played in the Southern District FA from 1947-1949

Kempton went under to to the lack of a committee. Had plenty of players.
 

Syd Swan

Team Captain
Oct 10, 2001
412
27
Tassie
AFL Club
Sydney
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The mighty Swans
Nah Risdon Vale wore the Tigers uniform.
Can't remember off the top of my head what Bridgewater's colours and jumper was (Bombers I think it was).
They used to play at Weilly Park.
Both been gone for a long time, in the 80s, Hobart could've been called Risdon Vale they had so many Vale boys playing there!

Bridgewater wore Black with a yellow sash, same as Richmond. Played in the Amateur league. I think it was a 14 team competition at the time and played games against Claremont, Lindisfarne, OHA, Sorell, Lauderdale and University to name a few. Even though they wore yellow and black, their nickname was the swans.
 

Kingpin

Brownlow Medallist
Jan 15, 2004
13,083
933
AFL Club
Richmond
Bridgewater wore Black with a yellow sash, same as Richmond. Played in the Amateur league. I think it was a 14 team competition at the time and played games against Claremont, Lindisfarne, OHA, Sorell, Lauderdale and University to name a few. Even though they wore yellow and black, their nickname was the swans.
It used to be one comp yes, they all played in the Southern Amateurs together until the end of 1980.
In 1981, Hutchins, St Virgils, OHA, DOSA, Uni, Friends, OTOS formed the Old Scholars division of the Southern Amateurs until the end of 1986.
They then broke away and formed the Old Scholars Football Association (1987- ).
Tasmanian Amateur Football League (Northern Division and Southern Division) ran from 1931-1995.
Northern Amateur clubs either folded after that or joined the NTFA, Southern clubs joined the STFL (now SFL).
Can't recall the exact time when Risdon Vale and Bridgewater folded, would be in the 90s at some point. Lachlan jumped from the old AYC/STFA to the Southern Amateurs at the start of '87 and then onto the STFL/SFL and folded two years later.
 

Kingpin

Brownlow Medallist
Jan 15, 2004
13,083
933
AFL Club
Richmond
Rossarden Redlegs - Red & White.
Formed 1939. Went into recess in 1941 due to WW2.
Reformed in 1945.
Closed: 1972.
Premierships: FDFA - 1956, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967.
Runner-Up: FDFA - 1959, 1966, 1968.
Played in the Fingal District Football Association.
Ground, Rossarden Recreation Ground, was at the end of Schell Street, Rossarden.
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